Radiant heating installation



mnu. I l IIIIHUMVIHTIII .IHl

JWWMWITIIIIILIIHIII 2 SHEETS- SHEET E. DE F. TIDD RADIANT HEATING INSTALLATION .J Il WT-""- Sept. 2, 1952 Filed Jan. 19, 1950 Sept. 2, 1952 E. DE F. TIDD 2,609,474

RAIANT HEATING INSTALLATION Filed Jan. 19, 195o 2 SHEETS-SHEET z i @if BY j@ @5MM :Wwf- 5 WJ Patented Sept. 2, 1952 `uru'rro As'mrr.

S PATENT YOFFICE. 1

RADIANT HEATING INSTALLATION f "H Elbert De F. Tidd, Clinton, N. J., assigner, by mesne assignments, to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jerseyl Application January 19, 1950, Serial No. 139,397

l Claim. (Cl. 21B-19) heating elements in the form of4 panels vto an electrical supply.

Another object is the provision of an electrical radiant heating panel installation permitting easy removal and replacement of the panels Y I Still anotherl object is to provide means for incorporating radiant heating panels in the walls or ceiling of a room in a manner which is eilicient yet inconspicuous. i

A further object of the invention is the provision of van electrical heating panel assembly which can be connected to, and disconnected from, a building wiringsystem without necessity for making s plices vor disturbing the wiring. -Still a further object is to provide means for 2 a dispersion of finely divided conductivev material, such as conductive carbon black, in a plastic medium, such as rubber. Electrical heating panels of this character are commercially available. The conductive layer I2 is spaced fromthe marginal edges of the panel Il), leaving' nonconducting marginal areas I3 therein. Y

For the purpose of'distributing electric cur- I rent to the embedded element I2, embedded feeding tapes I4 and I5 of conductive material, such as strips of copper or aluminum foil, are disposed along the longitudinal edges of the'layer I2 in electrical contact therewith. A similarly embedded feeding tape I6 extends transversely through the panel from one of the longitudinal tapes I5 to the location where electrical connections are made to the panel in a manner which will be described below. y

easily connecting a single panel, ora plurality i of adjacent or spaced panels, to a building wiring system.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident in the following detailed description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a partial sectional view of the ceiling of a room, viewed from below, showing an electrical radiant heating assembly 'comprising a 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing a manner of attachment of electrical wiring to the panel;

` plurality of heating panels installed thereon in For the purpose of attaching the panel IIJ to the ceiling beams I'I running longitudinally of the room, there are applied to thebeams Il spaced transverse strips or stringers I8. A metal channel piece i9 is applied to the front face'of each st ringer I8. The channel piece I9,as indicated most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, has a marginal flange 22 along each edge thereof through which screws 2I (Fig. 4) are passed for fasteniing the channel to the beam. The central area 22 of the channel piece I9 is raised so as'to form a longitudinal recess 23 within' the'channel piece. The marginal ilanges 2l) and the raisedY central portion 22 of the channel. I9 denne longitudinal grooves or recesses 24 into which the longitu- `dinal marginal edges of the panels I!) t snugly, so that the front surface of the panel is substana tially flush with the front face of the' chan- Fig.f3 is a perspective view of a part of the iny Y stallation of Fig. l, showing certain of the panels and marginal moldings removed; f

Fig. e is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing a manner of attachment of the panels;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 3 showing a mannner of attachment of the marginal moldings;

and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation.

taken-along line 6 5 of Fig. 3 showing another manner of attachment of the marginal moldings.

Referring to Fig. 1` of the drawings, the installation shown therein comprises a plurality of rectangular electrical radiant heatingv panels I0 arranged sustantially adjacently in the ceiling of a room, the distance between the side walls Il of the room being equal to the length of two panels I0. A l

As shown most clearly in the `perspective view, Fig. 3, each of th'epanels I.Q,.which are constructed of electrically insulating material, such as cementitious building board, contains an embedded lm or layer I2 of electrically conductive material which serves as the heating element. Such heating element is preferably composed of nel I9.

A pluralityof rotatablecleats 25 (Figs. 3 and e) are fastened along 'the raised'front face 22 of each channel I9 by means of rivets 2B. The cleats 25 are rotated alternately in opposite directions so as to engage the front marginal surfaces of the panels on opposite sides of the channels il, thereby supporting the panels in position in the ceiling. By making the cleatsrotatable in opposite directions, it is possible 'to removev one panel without disturbing the other.

For the purpose of concealing the panel-'sup'- porting channels I9 and cleats 25, longitudinal masking moldings or cover strips 21 of lsuitable shape yare placed thereover. ln order'that Vthe masking moldings 21 may be easily removable they are preferably held in place by snap-on fasteners disposed along the length of the moldings at suitable intervals. lSuch snap-on fasteners, as indicated in detail in Fig. 5, may comprise an upwardly extending male prong member 28 secured to the inner face of the masking molding 21 by means of a screw 29, and adapted to pass through an opening 30 in the center piece 22 of the channel I9 into frictional engagement with suitably shaped spring clips 3l which are fastened within the recess 23 ont the inside.nf the channel I9 for this purpose.

For concealingithe opening or 'joint 32 (Fig. '3) between the short edges of adjacent panels, masking molding 33, of form similar to molding 2l is provided, such molding being fastened in place by suitablyr shaped spring clips 34 (Fig. 6) spaced along the molding 33. indicated in Fig. 6, is fastened .to 'the molding 33 by means of a nut and bolt 35, and is adapted to nt through the opening 32 between the short edges of the panels I0, and to frictionally engage the rear edges of adjacent panels, thereby holding the molding 33 lin place. As indicated in .Fig 1, the lvarious moldings are .suitably jonted at the intersections .36 ,to give a neat lnished appearance, and the edges of the panel assembly are provided with a suitable molding Nfapplied.adjacent'the -side walls I I of the room.

.For the purpose ofi-connecting electrical supply wires to the embedded ,heating element I2, .ter- `ininal bolts ..38 kand :'39 (Fig. .2) pass through the Apanel from the feeding tapes VIII and `I6 respectively. The terminal -bolts Apass through -an insulating terminal block 40 which is fastened Ato 'therear face of the panel by means of bolts 4I Whichpass through -a thickened lportion of the block. .The upper `face of the block is provided the conductive rubber lm I2. The radiant heat v'thus produced is emitted from the surface of lEach 'clip .34, as

with yrecesses adapted vto accommodate the nuts on the'ends of the terminal 4bolts 38 and 39 .and

cnzthegfastening'bolts 4I,as indicated in Fig, A21. The heads of the terminal bolts 38 and y3.9 and the ,fastening .bolts 4I are -countersunk at the 'front surface of 'the -panel and covered with a suitable iinsulating compound 42. yElectrical supply .wires 43 and :'44 :are connected to the terminal :bolts 38 'and '39 :by means of nuts on the threaded zends thereof.

protective .cover :45 'is 4provided Ifor `the i purpnsenf enclosing the terminal bolts andconnections. Such cover imay be fastened .to Vthe insulatingterminal block-4l) fby means of a screw .-46 threaded throughithe top of .thezcover vI5 and .through the thickened portion of the terminal block 40. `The supply wires 43 and 44 pass out .through fan opening 4.1 (-Fig. 1) `in the .side of vthezcover '.plate'dll, .and are provided with the usual .insulation and outer protective .covering therebyconstituting arlexibleappliance cord 48 "('Eigs 1-'and.3).

The end of the appliance cord 48 is provided mitha plug connector 4.9 (Figs. .1. and 3) preferablyio'f the .twist-locking type, which is plugged Iinto a multiple .outlet box 56 mounted behind panelsonone ofthe ceiling .beams -,I-'I. The ontletbox .50 isconnected tothe building wiring system through the usual armored cable 5I. ,As vshown in l, .a plurality Aof adjacent panels -I.Il may be connected thus to the multiple outlet .fbox '50. .It will be understood .that .the usual thermostat and-switch 1(-not shown) may be as- `vsociated with the felectrical circuit Afor turning `the system on and off and for tcontrolling .the :degree :of .heat vemitted -by the panels.

'In operation, the radiant heating V.panels .I0 fare rinsta-lled between the 'supporting channels ilonithe .stringers :I8 and the cleats 25 Aare .rotated to support vthe ypanels in place. The `plug connectors :'49 onfthe supply-.cables IIB :are plugged 'into the multiple outlet vbox 5.0. Current .fed through the supply Wires :43 and .44 -of the .cord M passes, by tmeans of terminal .bolts `3.8,and 23S, into :the :embedded Vdistributing tapes I4, -I.6 .and TIB.. The :embedded layer .of conductive `rubber f2 completes the circuit across the 'distributing `ltapes J4 vand I5, with the result that the .desired radiant heat is produced inthe jpanel by reason the panel I0 and is absorbed by occupants and objects in the room.

,From the foregoing, it is evident that the invention provides a radiant heating installation in which electrical .connections may be made to the panels in a most convenient manner, it being unnecessaryto make-splices or disturb the wiring to install or remove the panels. n

Similarly, the manner of attachment of the panels tothe ceiling, .or other room surface, permits, maximumof conveniencein installing the panels, and, .if desired, the panels lmay be removed with equal ease without injuring` `the panels or the structure of the room, v.ceiling or walls.

.The .method of vinstallation adapts itself to placement of the panels over an entire ceiling. ,or Wall, or over vportions thereof `either adjacently, or in spaced relation, to obtain virtually.anydcdfA sired elfect.

The manner of concealment of the panel Ysup-- porting `means and joints -with Ydecorative -molding permits installations having attractive appearance adaptable to various architectural .and

ldecorative environments.

.An .electrical .radiant Vheating panel installaf vtion-in a roomsurface comprisingin-combination a flat heating panel, stringers secured to said room surface ,in .parallel relation .spaced according .to the width of fthe panel, a channel piece on `the surface lof `each Stringer, said channel piece having Yflange portions along its marginal edges for fastening to the Stringer, and Said channel piece having a central raised portion, the rearredgesurfaces-of the panelttingfagainst said flange portions ofthe channel and the -side edge Surface of the panel fitting against .said raised portion fof the channel, the front face of .said .raised portion :of .the channel being substantially flush `with the front face of vthe panel, cleats rotatably lfastened 'to said front face of thechannel vfor `movement Yinto engagement with the front .face of the panel .to maintain the `panel in place in said room surface, the said :channel having a recess in its interior, and a Ysnap-,on maskingmoldin'g covering the edge of'the panel and said cleats, said 'molding :having prongs extending Vfrom its yinteriorfsurface into holes in the Afront face-of the channel, and spring means disposed Within the...recess in said channel at -vsaid holes for engaging the prongs to maintain `the molding Ain '.place.

ELBERT 'DE F. TIDD.

REFERENCES CITED .The following references .are of record in the file .of this patent:

, UNITED 'STATES PATENTS Number Y Schreiber Feb. '6,V 1951 

